California Sober: The Science of Recovery

By W. E. Simmons and Sandra Solanchick

A new comprehensive guide to recovery has not been written for the better part of a century. In the first truly revolutionary method of recovery in that time, California Sober guides the reader on the path to the same awakening that kept the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous free from his substance of choice for 36 years. Along the way, I lay

• Language: English
• Publisher: SVDC InDUSTries
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798218417611

W. E. Simmons

W. E. Simmons is an ethnobotanist and researcher from Spring Valley, New York. His introduction to psychedelic substances in the mid-1980s inspired his fascination with their potential for relieving alcohol and substance use disorders. He has spent more than 30 years researching the effects of psychedelics and other mind-altering substances, specifically in the context of addiction recovery. After moving to California in 2002, Simmons dedicated himself to developing a revolutionary method of recovery. With the help of the latest science and a network of recovering addicts, he carefully honed his work into the first truly unique guide to recovery from addiction (and many other conditions of the mind) in almost a century, one that has been successfully used by W. and countless others to finally overcome their struggles, the California Sober method of recovery. In addition to ethnobotany and the exploration of mind-altering substances, Simmons also authors works in philosophy and fiction. He is an addiction specialist, a medicinal botanist, an experienced psychonaut, and freedom fighter in the War on Drugs.

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California Sober

W. E. Simmons

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SVDC InDUSTries

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California Sober

The Science of Recovery

By W. E. Simmons

California Sober – The Science of Recovery

Copyright © 2022 by W. E. Simmons

ISBN: 979-8-218-31947-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.  For permissions, contact the publisher.  This book is sold for informational purposes only, with rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.  Neither the author nor the publisher will be held accountable for the use or misuse of information provided by this publication.

Cover logo and interior logo by W. E. Simmons

Cover photo by Sandra Solanchick

Cover design by Sadie Simmons and W. E. Simmons

Note: The author and publisher acknowledge that although extremely rare in practice, misuse of the substances written about in this book could possibly result in negative experiences, particularly when consumption of said substance is not supervised by a qualified psychedelic caregiver, combined with other substances, or in cases where instructions for set and setting are not followed.  In an extremely rare worst-case scenario, someone with a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed or underlying, could cause harm to themselves or others, potentially resulting in fatality.  We urge all readers of this book to exercise caution and moderation in regard to their personal behavior and to follow strict guidelines under the supervision of a psychedelic caregiver.   The substances mentioned herein are federally controlled substances in the United States of America and many other countries, making the practices outlined herein punishable by imprisonment or fines.  While the outlawing of plants is absurd, this book is intended to convey the author's experience and is not intended to encourage anyone to break any law.  The author and publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the contents of this book.

Published by ​ ​               SVDC InDUSTries                                                                                           An imprint of California Sober™                                                                           P.O. Box 181                                                                                     Venice, California 90294                                                                      TheSVDC.com

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DEDICATION

First and foremost, this book is dedicated to the memory of the casualties of the War on Drugs, those dear to me being too many to list here, and to the prisoners of that War who were unjustly incarcerated for choices, mistake or otherwise, that every human has the right to make for themselves.  May we one day live in a world where education replaces the whipping post and personal freedom reigns supreme. 

Next, to those still struggling, I hope these words help you find a path that works for you.  For far too long, those who we turn to for help have pointed to an Exit sign on a door that is locked for most, keeping the hallway dark enough that we couldn’t see another way out.  With the lights on, it becomes obvious that the exits are everywhere, as long as we can open our eyes to the possibilities.

And finally, to the Spyder that leads the way and the Moon that lights the path, you reminded me where I was heading before I lost my way, may my course stay true.  To the one who brought them to me, I am forever in your debt.

Contents

Chapter 1 - What is California Sober?

Through the Myths and the Madness

Kick it

The Cult of Anonymity

Medication for the Soul

Addiction Demystified

What is California Sober?

Bill’s Story - A Personal History

The Real Bill W. – How A.A. was Almost California Sober

Chapter 2 - Education for Recovery

Independence Limited

Welcome to the Machine

War Pigs

Drug Scheduling 101

Say No to What?

Chapter 3 - The Science of Recovery

Issues with the Standard Model

The Science of Recovery

An Accidental Miracle

Godflesh

Lophophora Euphoria

Beyond the Gateway

Stigma

Just Say OM

Breathe

Move

Sleep - The Art of Brain Washing

Chapter 4 - The Components of California Sober - Transcendence and Changing Your Mind

Balance

The Components

The Cannabis Component

The Psychedelic Components

The Psychedelic Experience

Other Components

Stick to the Naturals

Know Your Source

Be Wary

California Sober for Mental and Physical Health

Chapter 5 - The California Sober Method of Recovery

The Questions

The Plan

Phase 1 - California Sober Remediation Therapy (CSRT)

Phase 2 – Meetings and talk therapy.

Phase 3 – Experience Therapy

The Importance of Intent

Pull Yourselves Together.

Phase 4 – Work on yourself

The California Sober Goals – A Guide to the New You

The Golden State of Mind

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Don’t Break the Oath

Chapter 6 - The 13 Trails of the California Sober Method of Recovery

The Paths

The Sum of all Paths

Conclusion

A Word about Negative Experiences

Reset and Oneness

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Reference Material

Meeting Guidelines (How to hold California Sober meeting)

Testimonials

Chapter 1 - What is California Sober?

Walking along Venice Beach, contemplating the addiction that had me on my knees for more than a decade, I was reintroduced to a long-forgotten concept that I was too young and naïve to understand when it was first offered to me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t grasp the idea, just that I didn’t fully understand a truth I had no real need for. I wasn’t yet addicted to anything when I was first shown the way. My emotional struggles seemed normal for someone in my situation. Life had yet to take a bite out of me that I couldn’t recover from. By the time those facts changed, I had forgotten the wisdom that had been passed on to me all those years ago. As fate would have it, on the night of one of my biggest struggles I was reunited with a concept that would transform my relationships, my life, and my entire way of thinking: The California Sober method of recovery. 

You may have heard the phrase California Sober while reading the tabloids or an article about celebrity lifestyles.  If you live in or travel to California, or maybe you know someone that does, you may have even heard someone say that they or someone they know are California Sober.  Popular songs have even been written about the practice.  Lately, the term has even been used in the addiction and recovery community with varying connotations - both positive and negative.  With all of its newfound fame, there is a lack of awareness regarding the concept of California Sober, and even those who believe they have some knowledge about it are quite often mistaken.

California Sober is a method of recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol that far exceeds any other method of recovery to date.  Its success rate is unprecedented in the field of recovery and is backed by a lifetime of scientific research.  The only reason that California Sober hasn't been the standard model of addiction recovery for the past half-century is due to the perpetuation of false ideas by other recovery methods, the government administration of the late 1960s, and the media of that era due to a collective fear of the unknown and the misconception that components of the treatment were impeding the Vietnam War effort.

The California Sober method of recovery has been scientifically proven to be the best treatment for a multitude of conditions of the body and mind.  Its benefits include higher recovery rates for alcoholism and drug addiction as well as behavioral addiction, but addiction is only one of many conditions California Sober can alleviate. Treatment-resistant depression, existential depression, grief, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD are all shown to be reduced by its techniques. As if that weren’t enough, California Sober methods also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more.  While there is no true cure for most of these conditions, the California Sober method of recovery is as close as anyone has ever gotten.  California Sober methods can be used to reset the brain in the same way that rebooting your phone or computer works as a fix when those devices get stuck. 

The best part of California Sober is that it is as easy as changing your mind.  California Sober methods rewire your brain by creating new neural pathways.  These techniques, when performed along with the California Sober path, can change the way you think about addiction while simultaneously relieving the above-mentioned conditions of the mind.  In addition, classic psychedelics stimulate neurogenesis, reduce neuroinflammation, and provoke neuroplastic changes.  They literally rewire the brain.  For these reasons, classic psychedelics are also being looked at as a treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.  As new as it sounds, the California Sober method of treating these conditions (and each individual component) has been praised by the psychiatric community for almost a century.

Psychiatric interest in the California Sober methods that were halted in the late 1960s (against the recommendation of the psychiatric community) have been reawakened as of late.  New studies are simply confirming what the scientific community has long known.  The California Sober method of recovery significantly outperforms other systems of recovery and works as well as other psychiatric medications to treat a host of disorders without the need for Big Pharma and its drugs.  But what is California Sober?  The term has been around for some time, but what does it really mean?  Before we get into the specifics of what makes it tick, let's explore what it is not.

Through the Myths and the Madness

Trying to get the Message to You

One of the most common misconceptions is that California Sober is a new fad.  In reality, California Sober has been around under various names and incarnations since at least the late 1800s, although the majority of studies proving its effectiveness have been done between 1950 and the present.  California Sober methods of recovery have been scientifically examined, tested, and proven to be effective in scores of studies over the last 60-plus years.  While the term California Sober has only been around for a few decades, the treatment is one that countless patients have used in their recovery for more than a century.  The long list of those who have maintained their freedom from addiction using the California Sober method even includes that of the most famous name in recovery, Bill W., the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Another common misconception is that California Sober is simply exchanging one addiction for another.  This could not be further from the truth.  Substituting one addiction for another is not, by definition, recovery from addiction.  California Sober treatments are done with the express intention of relieving the user of all addictions, not just the ones that are holding them back today.  This is accomplished by guiding the addict to a new way of thinking while promoting better habits that take the place of bad ones.  If someone truly wants to break their addiction, California Sober methods are proven to have the highest success rate among all recovery systems.

While you may have heard the falsehood that California Sober means that you simply smoke marijuana instead of drinking, this is not at all the case.  If it were that simple, if weed was the true cure-all for addiction, everyone would simply switch their substance of choice to Cannabis and the world would be a better and addiction-free place.  Unfortunately, it's not that simple.  While cannabis can aid in the treatment of addiction, California Sober is not just trading in your favorite high for a new one.  In addition, a small percentage of the population can become addicted to marijuana.  Consequently, a method of recovery with only Cannabis at its center would never work for those individuals.  Any form of recovery should work for every type of addiction, as California Sober has been proven to do. 

Another misinterpretation is that California Sober is just for alcoholics and drug addicts.  Studies show that California Sober Treatments work for a host of other conditions.  Anxiety and depression are shown to be significantly reduced by the methods contained herein.  Employment fatigue, also known as burnout, can subside, giving way to productivity and an increase in creativity.  If you've found yourself in a rut caused by the routine of everyday life, California Sober can help.  Before we get into how and why California Sober works, let's explore other methods of recovery and why they fall short in their attempts to do the same.

Kick it

Most people who struggle with addiction, whether it be to alcohol, prescription drugs, or street drugs (like Fentanyl, Crack, or Crystal Meth), have limited choices when it comes to turning their life around and breaking the cycle that has led them down this dark and dreary path.  A rare few simply decide that they have had enough.  They sink so low that they can no longer bear the heartache that their addiction has caused.  Realizing that enough damage has been done to their lives, they walk away from their addiction, never looking back and never again ingesting the substance that nearly ruined their lives.  While this would be a wonderful and empowering way to beat addiction if it worked, this is the exception, not the rule. 

Far more often than not, this method of kicking the habit results in repeated relapse.  In other words, most of the people who try to quit on their own go back to whatever substance was controlling them in a vicious cycle of complete abstinence from all substances, followed by failed attempts at controlled use, and ending in the same pattern of destruction that brought them to their knees in the first place.  Going it alone and without a plan is the hardest possible way to beat addiction.  This is due to the fact that the craving addicts are fighting lives in the mind.  Who better to outsmart you in your efforts to remain sober than yourself?

When you are addicted to a substance that causes your life and well-being harm, you instinctively want to stop.  You're coming down, possibly hungover, and generally feel like shit when you finally decide that enough is enough.  You're going to sleep it off and, as soon as you feel better, you will change your life around.  Sometimes the feeling lasts but a few short hours.  Other times it lasts for days, maybe even weeks.  As soon as the problems your last binge caused begin to fade from memory and your brain realizes that it isn't going to get that boost that it so desires, the enhancement that it has become accustomed to leaning on, it begins the process of plotting against you, calculating the best way to get what it wants whether you like it or not. 

While the conscious mind lives in the illusion that it has control over the actions of the body, choice is truly limited.  You may decide what style to wear, which people you like versus who you don't, what career path to follow, or what you prefer to do for fun.  You may even decide what to eat for dinner (although even that simple choice is up for debate).  Inconsequential choices are yours to make all day, but when it comes to what the body needs (or thinks it needs) you don't have the only say in the matter. 

You can physically stop yourself from breathing by simply not taking another breath.  Through sheer will, the diaphragm stops moving.  Air no longer enters or exits the nostrils.  You've made a choice.  You are no longer going to draw breath.  Unlike your beating heart, this is something you can consciously control - that is, until you've hit the point where your body has decided it's had enough.  Your cells scream for oxygen until suddenly, and without your permission, the diaphragm begins to contract.  You refuse to let the air into your lungs, but the body persists.  In addition, thoughts that you should take a breath consume your mind.  Eventually, your will means nothing.  The lungs will have air whether you like it or not.  You gasp and lose the battle.  You are no longer in control.

Perhaps a more fitting example is the sailor lost at sea.  As the days go by, he runs out of drinkable fresh water.  The sailor knows that he cannot drink from the sea.  He understands that doing so will hasten his demise because seawater contains salt.  The human body can only make urine that is less salty than seawater.  To get rid of the salt, the body needs to eliminate more water than it takes in from the sea.  This speeds the process of dehydration.  Every sailor knows this to be true.  Still, after a couple of days of thirst, even the smartest of seamen will begin to quench that thirst with a swig of the ocean, knowing full well that it will likely be the last thing that they will ever drink.

When the body decides that it needs a substance in order to function, it will do whatever it takes to convince the rational mind that ingesting that substance, whatever it may be, is better than the alternative, no matter the consequences.  Like air and water, the brain considers regularly used substances to be necessary to its survival.  This is the battle one faces when they try to overcome addiction on their own, without the benefits of a scientific approach to the problem.  Quitting an addictive substance without help usually leads the addict back to their Substance of Choice, eventually.  This is known as relapse. 

How long one stays sober often directly correlates to how bad things have gotten.  The bottom (the user’s lowest point in a cycle of addiction) is different for different people and is as individual as your situation and your addiction.  For some it's an eviction notice from the landlord or getting fired from a job for being late too often or for multiple absences.  For others it's losing their children to the system (commonly known as child services).  For many, it can be pressure from a partner or family member telling the addicted individual to either change their ways or be removed from that loved one's life forever.  What motivates some may not motivate others.  Still, once one realizes that their addiction is destroying some part of their world that they hold dear, many try to simply say no to their Substance of Choice and get on with their lives.

At some point the mind begins the process of lying to you.  It can start as soon as you sober up, telling you that everything is fine or that getting drunk or high once more won't change anything.  Your brain begins to dismiss and push aside the part of you that knows this just isn't the case.  You were so sure that all of your problems were caused by your substance of choice not long ago.  Now you feel like one thing has nothing to do with the other, or that one more time can't make things any worse.  The brain fools you so it can get the drug it wants even if you didn't think you wanted to use in the recent past, that past being several months ago or mere hours.

Sometimes the motivation only lasts until the issue your addiction has caused resolves itself.  The landlord dropped the eviction when you promised to have the money by weeks end, or your boss had a change of heart and agreed to give you one more chance.  Everything is looking up for you.  Everything worked out after all.  What better time to celebrate?  Once your guard is down, the organ that benefits the most from your addiction begins its mission to get more.  This is why addiction is often referred to as a demon.  It possesses the user and makes them do illogical things in order to get what it wants.  More.

When the addict finally realizes they cannot do it on their own, that's when they start to look for help.  The problem here is that traditional treatment is hard for most people to accept, and for good reason.  Traditional addiction recovery treatments are based on a quasi-religious, cult-like system of rules and steps that must be precisely followed in order to (possibly) find relief from addiction.  There is no science to the steps they make one follow, resulting in little to no chances of success.  In addition, they require total abstinence from any and all substances, which may not be the best course of treatment for the individual.  This is one of the many reasons that traditional addiction recovery methods have been proven to be less successful than the California Sober treatment. 

Conscious control over addiction can be obtained, but it takes more than will itself.  The addict needs to rewire and reboot the brain.  A new way of thinking must be achieved, and the sooner the better.  While seeking help and knowing that you have a problem are the best first steps on a journey to freedom from addiction, the addict needs to see another way to live their same life.  They need to be shown that they can still be their favorite version of themselves without the substance they crave.  The California Sober method of recovery can help the user do just that. 

The Cult of Anonymity

Most of those seeking traditional recovery turn to Anonymous groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and so on, with minimal success.  While they may fare better than the first group, their success is dependent on joining what is essentially a religious cult (by design) in which there is a direct correlation between the addict's rate of victory over the substance that is destroying them and their level of indoctrination into the Anonymous cult of their choosing.  The more the addict drinks the Kool-Aid, the higher their limited chances of success are.  When they don't immediately succeed (as most do not) they are told that it's because they're not truly conforming to the program, when in fact it’s more likely that their failure is due to their disbelief in one or more aspects of the 12 steps and their resistance to proselytization.

In the how it works section of the Anonymous group’s bible, this blame on the individual for failure to successfully abstain is clearly stated.  Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path it begins, although studies show that less than 10% of those who attempt to abstain using their method of recovery actually succeed.  They expect you to believe that the other 90% who try their steps fail because they are not honestly following the procedure.  The truth is most people fail in 12 step recovery because it doesn't work for everyone.  It's that simple. 

To further add insult to injury, the how it works portion of the Big Book goes on to say that those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves...They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.  In short, the Big Book blames the addict’s failure on their ability to grasp A.A.’s simple concept and to be honest with themselves.  If the 12 steps do not work for you, you must either not be smart enough or you’re lying to yourself.  This couldn't be further from the truth and is just an excuse for the failure of the 12 step programs themselves.

The California Sober method of recovery never blames failure on the individual.  Addiction is not easily overcome.  If it were, it would be a non-issue.  What California Sober can claim, however, is that our system has a success rate that is 500-800% higher than that of any 12-step program, partially due to the fact that we do not fault the individual for their failure to achieve.  Saying that an addict has fallen short of recovery because they didn't try hard enough is the leading cause for them rejecting a program.  They know they are trying their best.  Telling them otherwise is a slap in the face.  California Sober recognizes that relapse is a part of the initial process and that it may take a few tries before one finds their true path.  With a higher success rate, California Sober makes it easier to do just that.

Finally, how it works (or, more accurately, why it doesn't work) goes on to claim that there are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.  The truth is that said mental disorders make recovery harder.  To say that someone suffering from a diagnosed mental illness need only have the capacity to be honest in order to successfully stay off of their substance of choice is not only insulting to those individuals, it's simply untrue.  We aren't all built the same.  Each individual has their own unique struggle and some of us have a harder time than others.  California Sober recognizes that everyone’s recovery path is different and